Summary
- Nightwing’s stunning variant cover features a Día de los Muertos mask as a tribute to Mexican and Latin American culture.
- The cover inadvertently hints at an alternate Día de los Muertos cover series that DC could explore next November.
-
Nightwing
#120 promises an exciting storyline in which Dick faces corrupt police officers and gang wars in Blüdhaven.
WARNING: Contains possible spoilers for NIGHTWING #120!Nightwing has officially traded in his domino mask for a full-face mask, in a stunning alternate cover celebrating Mexican and Latino culture. While that mask may not make it into the narrative, the alternate cover itself deserves recognition. This unique addition to the Nightwing costume inadvertently suggests the idea of an alternate cover series that DC could implement next November.
Dick’s traditional domino mask has disappeared and has been replaced by a traditional painted wooden skull called a calaca.
Dan Watters and Dexter Soy’s Nightwing #120 is set to be released on November 27, 2024, and promises to return Dick to the street hero fans love. The synopsis suggests Nightwing will face off against Blüdhaven’s corrupt police force, which has deadly experimental weapons at its disposal, while also trying to prevent bloody gang wars and avoid being targeted by a mysterious enemy.
|
NIGHTWING #120 (2024) |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
|
Release date: |
27 November 2024 |
|
Authors: |
Daniel Watters |
|
Artist: |
Dexter Soya |
|
Cover artist: |
Dexter Soya |
|
Variant cover: |
Dan Panosian, Francesco Francavilla and Gleb Melnikov |
|
With deadly experimental weapons in the hands of the city’s oh-so-corrupt police force, Nightwing must prevent a bloody war with the gangs of Blüdhaven – which would be easier if someone wasn’t constantly trying to blow him up! |
|
This issue already promises to be exceptionally exciting, and the additional different covers increase its appeal even further, especially Francesco Francavilla’s art of Nightwing wearing a Día de los Muertos mask.
Nightwing presents his “Day of the Dead” mask in a stunning variant cover
Cover C Francesco Francavilla Card Stock variant for Nightwing #120
Dick’s traditional domino mask is gone, replaced by a full-face mask in Francavilla’s alternate cover – one of Nightwing’s most unique and impressive looks to date. Dick’s new mask is a direct homage to Día de los Muertos, a traditional festival honoring the dead observed in Mexico, parts of Latin America, and New Mexico. The mask he wears appears to be a traditional painted wooden skull known as a “calaca.” These wooden skulls are often placed on altars and dedicated to the deceased as part of the festivities, making Francavilla’s art a beautiful and unique celebration of Día de los Muertos.
Dick’s Calaca is particularly impressive because it not only reflects the traditional masks and decorations of the Día de los Muertos, but also pays tribute to his Nightwing personality by using a color palette that highlights his signature blue and black. The release of this cover variant in November is no coincidence, as Día de los Muertos takes place on November 1st and 2nd. Francavilla obviously put a lot of thought into this cover and timed its release to coincide with the actual Day of the Dead celebrations.
DC needs to do a Dia De Los Muertos variant cover series next November
Cover B Dan Panosian Card Stock Variant for Nightwing #120
Francavilla’s alternate cover is a wonderful representation of artistic talent and culture merging with DC. By matching the mask to Nightwing’s color scheme, he may have inadvertently suggested a fun idea for DC to explore next November: a Día de los Muertos alternate cover series. This series could feature various DC characters given a Day of the Dead redesign in DC’s top titles, complete with Calacas. It would be exceptionally cool to see other fan-favorite characters receive the same reinterpretation as Nightwing I did this year.
Nightwing #120 will be released on November 27, 2024 by DC Comics!
Nightwing
Nightwing is the superhero name Dick Grayson adopted when he outgrew the role of Robin and became a superhero in his own right. Inspired by the original Kryptonian hero of the same name, Grayson used this identity to achieve immortality in the comics and earn respect as one of the greatest leaders in the DC Universe.
